toodlelooz

I am a Physician Assistant with over 12 years of experience in internal medicine and gastric band management . I am a certified provider in band management and have done thousands of fills. I believe in the band because I have seen, first hand, how well it works.....if the patient has been taught how to use it!!! Too often, the patient is rushed in and out of the office for a fill and the provider doesn't address what the patient is doing right or wrong. The weight log does not tell the whole story, far from it. Unfortunately, most providers put far too much "weight" in the weight log. For instance, the patient comes in for a 2 week follow up and has lost 3 lbs, great right? Not quite, If the provider doesn't ask the appropriate questions he/she may not know that the patient is too tight and vomiting daily, surprisingly, many patients won't offer this info up to the provider because they are losing weight. The provider MUST spend time withe the patient to determine if the band is too tight or is the patient making mistakes that cause vomiting. This vomiting is risky for band patients because it may cause a slip or erode the mucosa of the esophogus as well as many other potential problems. Believe it or not, there are plenty of "band bulemics" out there and most aren't identified because the provider doesn't spend enough time with the patient. On the flip side, some patients come in with a weight gain, yet their band is very tight. This is actually a common dilema and again if the provider doesn't ask the right questions, the patient will end up getting a fill when in reality, they need a small defill. Most patients want their band as tight as possible because that equates to more weight loss, right? When the band is too tight, the patient knows that most foods will cause vomiting. Ironically, its the food that they shouldn't eat, that they end up eating, thus weight gain. In this patient, with a small defill, the vomiting will resolve and their weight will drop. I am available to answer any questions this community has via this forum or email at jvmed@me.com.

O'kay! Am I the ONLY one that doesn't FEEL the FULL sesation? Has my band slipped without me knowing it? Does it expand over time??

OMG Countrysweet you just took the words out of my mouth..."I have this overwhelming fear that I'm going to be hungry again in just a few hours so I eat more"...that's what I find myself doing over and over.....and I know I have to stop the madness....

Me TOO! I was banded March 7 and feel like I'm hungry all the time. I've been trying to find mushie recipes to help fill me up more but I'm still hungry. I found that if I chew, chew, chew and chew chew chew some more, I can eat things like egg salad - which did eventually fill me up but must admit, it took more than the allowed 1/2 cup to do so. I was starting to wonder if this band thing was really for me and scared to death that once again, I invested good money; money I don't have to throw away...on another WL scam. BUT reading your posts from others advising this is all a normal "process" and that I will eventually get to the FILLED point, gives me encouragement. I'm supposed to have my first fill April 7th, but I'm calling the doc office tomorrow to talk about my hunger and see if maybe we need to bump up the fill date. I don't want to do poorly. Thanks for being so honest. :-)

Are you still searching for the feeling we call “full”?
Not once in my life before my band surgery did I ever feel I had eaten enough food. Day after day, meal after meal, I searched for the feeling of “full”. I had no idea what it felt like, for many reasons. Some were emotional, some spiritual, some physical. Researchers now theorize that the internal message system in obese people doesn’t function properly, so that we don’t receive or comprehend “full” messages. Whatever the reason(s), I ate as if I was shoveling food into a bottomless pit that no amount of food could ever fill.


As a new bandster, it took me a long while to even begin to pay attention to my eating, never mind figure out when to stop eating. And no wonder. For over 50 years, I had eaten mindlessly, greedily, endlessly. Every single day, every meal, every moment, I ate and ate to reach what I call Thanksgiving dinner Full. I loved to cook (and still do). I loved to eat (and still do). My business travels took me all over the world, so that in each country I was able to enjoy a huge variety of different and delicious food. Occasionally the food was very strange – I can’t recommend eating the lightly grilled, still wriggling sea slug I sampled in Taiwan – but I was always game for a culinary adventure.
It’s very ironic that during those overseas travels, I witnessed true hunger, deprivation, and near-starvation firsthand. What I ate in one day then could probably feed a whole family for a week. In Southeast Asia I once met a new business associate for the first time. We talked business for a while. Then he said something startling, seemingly out of the blue: “Your family must be very wealthy.”
I said, “Uh, not especially.”
He smiled at my modesty, gestured at my size 24 body and said, “But it is true, because I can see that you eat very well.”
That encounter was mortifying on several levels, as I’m sure you can imagine. When I left that business career and coincidentally began dealing with my weight and eating issues, I also began to feel shame for my eating behavior, for the waste of all the food I’d gobbled up in my perpetual Quest for TDF (Thanksgiving Dinner Full). But how on earth could I end that quest? How could I ever learn to stop eating before I reached the TDF level?
I was extremely fortunate to start my weight loss surgery journey a short while later, and even more fortunate that my Lap-Band® eventually became such an effective tool in helping me eat less and lose weight. Although I felt I’d done a lot of research as a pre-op, I have to smile every time I think of a bandster friend who told me, “I had no idea how much work this was going to be.” I had no idea either. Every bite of food, every sensation in my body before, during, and after I ate, became a big project.
If you’re a new post-op, or even a further-out post-op, are you too discovering how much work is involved in living with and succeeding with your band? Perhaps wondering, “What have I gotten myself into?” If so, that’s OK. Remember that you’re not alone, and that you can succeed even if feels like getting there is taking forever and a day.
So, c’mon, Jean. Get to the point. Tell us: how do you know when to stop eating? Do you eat until you're full? What is “full” supposed to feel like now?
My answer to the first question is no. As a WLS patient, you don't eat until you’re full. You should never again eat that way, not just because that’s how you became obese enough to qualify for bariatric surgery but because eating that way will hinder your weight loss and can cause some nasty side effects and complications. So you’re going to have to figure out a new stopping point. And that stopping point is the satiety point.
Satiety is not quite the same as being full. For a bandster, full means that you have overeaten again and will soon be so uncomfortable you’ll have to take a few breaths before you go on to clean that plate like a good kid. (Which, by the way, is another practice you’ll have to give up sooner or later). Full means your upper stomach has reached its maximum capacity and that at any moment, that food is going to back up into your throat and make an ungraceful exit all over you, the table, and your dining companions. Full means that you sped right past your satiety point. Full means that it’s time to start paying much closer attention to how you feel as you eat.
Satiety happens on your way to being full. With a properly adjusted band, you will be comfortable if you stop eating when you're satiated, but will experience discomfort if you eat until you're full. If you eat to the TDF point, you won’t have that old faithful full-belly sensation that made you loosen your belt while waiting for Mom to bring you a big piece of pumpkin pie.
Instead, you’ll probably feel pressure, even pain, in your upper abdomen and chest. You’ll produce enough excess saliva to make you drool. You’ll think you’re about to power barf. You’ll be very sorry you overate. You’ll promise God and your bariatric surgeon (who are not actually the same person, by the way) that if you can feel relief right now, you’ll never overeat again. You’ll need to learn some strategies to prevent another episode of overeating. In article #3 of the Satiety 101 series, “Recognizing Satiety,” we’ll take a look at some common signals our bodies give us when we’re closing in on the satiety point.

Hi all,
This is my first thread. I was banded on March 10, 2014. Today I am 10 days post op. I lost 13.8 pounds so far! This is very exciting for me BUT I AM HUNGRY! I can consume more then 4oz every hour and I won't lie.. I had a few bites of food (scrambled egg, a few bites of a mashed potato ..) I never got the "stuck" feeling and I took small bites and was satisfied. Am I horrible?! What did you eat 10 days post-op?

Welcome to banded life! Don't worry about being able to eat more than you think you should right now. It sounds like you've healed well and your swelling has gone down and now the hunger is kicking in...you're right on schedule. That's the good news.
For the bad news:
During this time, unless you had a fill during surgery (3cc's is popular) you're just in the stages of adapting to the band and it's not "turned on" yet. You're going to be hungry, you're going to be able to eat a whole lot of food and you'll worry that the band isn't going to be right for you. Sound about right?
Quiet those thoughts, what you are experiencing and what is to come is normal. To fill up without doing too much damage I ate:
Cream of wheat
Oat meal
Green Beans
Broccoli (crown only)
Salads
tuna
Boiled chicken
Crab meat
String cheese
Peanut Butter
Cottage cheese
Berries
It's been a while, I'm sure there were other things but this is a pretty good idea of it.

Next time just get a kids meal. . (I did that last week, and called it portion control). Tomorrows come every day! Don't beat yourself up over it.

eggs
cheese
Yogurt
Cottage cheese
Cereal with milk (like Special K or other flakes, soaked in milk)
Porridge with Protein Powder stirred in after it cools a bit
Canned Soup with extra rotisserie chicken added
Beef mince with gravy or Bolognaise or other sauce
Canned chicken mixed with mayo, onion, and gherkin relish (aka chicken salad)
Refried Beans with cheese
Hummus
Canned peas
Baked beans
Custard with Protein powder stirred in
Sashimi
smoked salmon
canned tuna

This is what I ate in purée, along with yogurt and Protein shakes.
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/251749-how-to-puree-chicken/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/251750-chicken-burrito-puree/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/251752-chicken-casserole-puree/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/251755-spiced-pumpkin-ricotta-puree/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/251754-tuna-casserole-puree/

1 can Mexican-flavored pinto Beans
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup salsa
400 grams puréed cooked chicken (14 ounces)
1 envelope of taco or burrito spice mix
4 tsp Benefiber (2 servings)
Purée until smooth. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups and put 1/2 cup mixture into each. Freeze for three hours or so, then remove from the muffin tin (you may need to use a plastic knife to help), peel,off the paper, and put into zip loc bags.
Serves: 9
Calories: 130
Protein: 13.9
Fat: 4.9
Sugars: 1.3
Fiber: 3.4

Hi Jennifer,
If you are in terrible pain, my first suggestion is to give your doctor a call ASAP.
Moving around is going to help move the gas that is used during the surgery. I know it's unflattering but passing it is what will ultimately bring relief.
Here are some tips and tricks that will help break things up and also help sooth your stomach. Surgery is not nothing, and who ever told you that should be slapped. This was a major surgery to your organs and though you should heal well and quickly it's not nothing and you need the time, the rest and the TLC to allow your body to heal up correctly.
Warm tea (decaf) no milk will help you to break up the gas. You can sweeten with sugar substitute of your choice but try to steer clear of the dairy in it. Lemon is great if you like it that way.
A heating pad to put on your back and lie on will also help with the soothing and if you have a hot Water bottle you can put that on your tummy but not on the incisions. If the port is hurting and a bit swollen ice packs work awesome on that.
You can take some gas ex and/or some beano, if your drinking lots of Protein shakes and or pudding with milk products try taking some lactaid that will help you to break up the milk Protein which causes extra gas if your sensitive to it. You may not have been before surgery but after while you heal you may be more so. Get the chewable ones so you don't have to swallow pills.
Ice pops (sugar free) are also helpful for internal swelling and healing and they taste pretty good too.
Good luck and as I said in the first line if the pain is unbearable please call your doctor and check in with the office for advice.
Feel better soon.

Please post your go-to foods, recipes, etc for the purée (aka creamy) phase. Remember these foods should be smooth with no chunks. Also remember that you can have foods from the liquid phase during the purée phase.
This thread is part of a series:
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/292196-staple-foods-for-pre-op/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/292197-staple-foods-for-the-liquid-phase-phase-1/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/292198-staple-foods-for-puree-phase-2/
http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/292199-staple-foods-for-the-soft-food-stage-phase-3/

I got banded on Mar 7th and also am experiencing severe gas pain. I thought I was going to be Superwoman and go back to work, lickety split..no issues. WRONG! I went back to work today (with the gas issue building up even more-so throughout the day). By quitting time, I was hurting BIGTIME! I came home and took my meds and the Gas-X. It helped a bit. The more I read on this website (which I am so grateful to have found) the less worried I feel. From all that I've read, I truly believe it's a gas issue. Yes, I'm sore/tender, very delicate around the port area especially, but I really don't feel "pain" from the incisions. I feel the pain (like heartburn) right in the middle of my chest and sometimes under my left breast and around to my back. All of which seem to be related to the gas issue. Why I thought I was going to be so "princess-like" and not be dealing with "GAS", but a princess I am not. All I want to do is let one rip...BELCH of course (nothing seems to want to come out the other...sorry for details but we are in a "safe" place...right?). Anyway, I'm right there with you and so glad to share. Hope it helps you just a bit. Hang in there....everyone says this is so worth the pain we go through. So far, I'm content. See you around....

Protein shakes (I used Optifast)
Protein Soups, but I doctored them with Worcestershire and soy sauces and made them up with milk and stock instead of just Water. Make sure to dissolve the powder in a small amount of cold Water first and don't heat the Soup over 140F to avoid lumpy protein
chicken stock with vinegar and hot sauce (like hot&sour)
fruit juice
Popsicles
coffee (I was allowed)
Tea

Glided, now that's a beautiful verb! So happy for you, JBro! And you, too, Toodlelooz. What a great time to be banded -- here's to spring and all the renewal and healing we all deserve. I am just four months out and SO happy.

Welcome aboard! I got banded last Friday and so grateful I have a place like this website to come to with all that I'm experiencing. Keep checking in and let us know how you're doing.

Went in early this morning and glided through everything. The worst thing post-surgery was feeling foggy from the anesthesia. But after forty minutes of being in and out of the fog, I made myself sit up and start sipping Water. Then I got walking.
Feeling sore in the midsection but no pain yet. I am feeling some muscle tenderness probably from the gas. Overall, I'm doing great.
I'm already home and on the road to recovery!! :-)

The pain pills pretty much knocked me out.

I was drowsy because of the pain killers so I did get to sleep )))

I did not have the gas pain, but the incision pain kept me up the first night, but in general I slept ok even without the pain killers. I did wake up every night a couple of times with a sore throat from the tube during surgery. By night of day 2 I took a unisom because I wasn't in pain enough for the pain killers and didn't want to be constipated. I slept like a baby on that.
Last two nights I have been sleeping great, but wide awake at 3am for no known reason. Hang in there. It will get better.
- K

You had your band placed on my birthday. At 10 months out, on my birthday I was down 70 lbs. Let me just tell you, it's been a wonderful trip as I hope it will be for you. There will be times you will get a little discouraged, just stick with this forum and there will be those here to help you through it. Congratulations.

Hi guys! I am now banded.. And so excited! I am also in a ton of pain. Lol I wasn't one of the lucky ones that experienced minimal to no pain at all.. But, luckily, I have a very understanding nursing staff that provides me with pain meds and encouragement.
I walk the halls about every 2 hours and that helps with the gas build up in my chest.
I can breath in 3000 ml of air! My respiratory therapist was impressed, me too kind of..
I'm a little concerned because I have been able to drink a lot it seems. : ( since 5:30 I have drank a cup of broth, a small portion of sherbert, I have drank 3 juice cups (about 12 oz all together) and 9 oz of H2O.
So.. I drank, roughly, 34 oz in about 3 hours. I feel like that is too much?